NEW YORK — What we learned Saturday afternoon while watching two teams capable of deep runs in the NCAA Tournament — Butler and Saint Louis — square off in the Atlantic 10 semifinals at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Saint Louis beat the Bulldogs 67-56 to advance to the title game against the winner of the VCU-UMass semifinal.

Billikens are quick but don't hurry

The final play of the first half was a perfect illustration of what makes Saint Louis so impressive. The Billikens got the ball back with about 20 seconds left and shifted into their offensive set, with Kwamain Mitchell controlling the ball at the top of the key. He drove toward the elbow and when help came from the Butler defense, Mitchell dropped the ball down to big man Rob Loe on the block. Loe made a quick move and scored on a one-foot bank shot as the clock expired.

The Billikens recognize that the smartest shots under tight time constraints aren't deep 3-pointers or turnaround jumpers or one-on-three situations where a ballhandler charges into the lane hoping to make a crazy shot or get fouled.

When you settle for bad shots, you settle for losses. Saint Louis never settles.

Stevens has seen this before

At Friday's postgame press conference — after the win against La Salle — Butler coach Brad Stevens was asked about losing a couple of games already this season to Saint Louis.

"We've gotten beaten twice," he said. "And there's really only been one common denominator in both of those losses from the defensive side of the ball for us, and that's (Dwayne) Evans hurt us both times."

Well, make it a third time. Evans, an incredibly effective 6-5 forward, actually had his best game of the season Saturday. He got his sixth double-double — all of them since the beginning of February — and finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds. He even made his second 3-pointer of the season Saturday.

Evans had 15 points and five rebounds in the first game against Butler and 17 and four in the second one, which was at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Keep an eye on Ellis

The streak of bright Billikens blue in Cody Ellis' hair pretty much guarantees that pregame cameras focus on him for at least a moment or two. The way the 6-8 senior from Australia can shoot the basketball ensures they stay focused on him.

On Saturday against Butler, Ellis displayed a knack for making 3-pointers at the most opportune times. His first two made 3-pointers tied the game; the next two broke ties and gave Saint Louis three-point leads.

This was the 10th game Ellis has made at least three 3-pointers in a game, with a high of six in a win at Fordham. Ellis can get hot, but he can also go ice-cold, too. In Saint Louis' overtime loss at Xavier on March 6, Ellis was 0-for-15 from the field, a total that included 11 misfires from 3-point range.